Card display



Sept.i 8, 1931. F. LAMB 1,822,492

CARD DISPLAY Filed April 26, 1929 INVENTOR ATTO NEMl Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANKLTN LAMB, 0F NEW YORK, N'. Y.,4 ASSIGNOIR TO CARD DISPLAY, INC., A

COEIORATION OFr NEW' YORK CARD DISPLAY Application led April 26,

in association with a sign indicating the price.

The patent shows a convenient method of p 5 removably mounting interchangeable price numerals in a backing plate and the present invention aims to provide an eective means for mounting and displaying the assembled carrying plate and numeral bearing units.

ln high-class retail stores it is obviously undesirable and slovenly to simply lay the signs about on the counters or to prop them against such supports as may be available and the present invention provides a mounting frame of luxurious appearance which not only aids materially in dressing7 the goods counters, but which holds the signs in position so that they may be readily observed from a distance. The frame is preferably provided with a substantial base of its own so that it ymay stand upon any suitable supporting surface and the signs arepreferably slipped into place through a slot in the frame to 1r)lhe invention is further concerned with the provision of a temporary cap piece selfsustaining in applied position upon the frame and adapted to bear decorative matter appropriate to the season. Thus by simply 40 changing the cap pieces the signs will be dressed in accordance with the various holiday seasons or other occasions and without the need for printingspecial signs for each occasion.

Freferably the cap pieces, when in place, serve to vary the contour of the sign ,and frame unit and materially alter the general make up of the signs. Preferably also the so-called cap pieces are held in position upon the tops of the frames by tongues which enter 1929.k Serial No. 358,248.

the slots inthe tops of the frames `and cooperate with the lower edges of the cap pieces to define shoulders which rest upon the frames and limit the insertion of the tongues. Thus the needfor any securing means whatsoever is obviated and the `decorative cap pieces may be slipped into place or removed in` an instant, their expeditious'insertion be ing facilitated 'by tapering thetongues so that they are automatically self-guiding into place.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a display ydevice of extremely simple, ractical construction which will be rugged, durable and efficient in use, attractive in appearance and Well suited to meet the requirements of economical manufacture and convenient manipulation. In the accompanying drawings in which i is shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of my in- 70 vention; y

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display device embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 -is a `vertical sectional View therethrough on theV line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and on a larger scale, f

Fig. 3 is al sectional detail taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 4: is a sectional detail on the liney 4:-4 of Fig; 3'a1id Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the removable cap piece.

In the drawings the reference numeral 10 designates an open rectangular frame sup- 5 ported in upright yposition upon a suitable 8 pedestal 11. The lower cross bar and the sides of the frame are internally channeled as at 12 and 13respectively and the top of the frame is provided with` a slot 14,- through o whichjsign cards may be inserted, the edges of these cards lying in the channels.

A The card is illustratively of the type disclosed in the Bloomingdale patent above referred to including a plate portion 15 of cardboard or the vlike provided with an opening 16 V in which removable character bearing elements 17 preferably of the same material and thickness as the plates are inserted and held Y" by stickers 18. In the ordinary course of use` tivo of the signs are inserted back t0 back, the channels and slot being Wide enough to readily accommodate them.

lhe ornamental cap piece which is used to dress up the signs for special holiday sales or other unusual occasions is preferably also of cardboard and is of segmental shape, ats lower straight edge being preferably equal in length to the length of the upper cross bar oit the ,traine l0. A .tapered tongue 20 pendant from the body portion -llofthecap piece is adapted to enter the slot 14 and lie between the tivo sign cards which are mounted iu the frame. This tongue cooperates With the lower straight edge .of the cap piece to deiine shoulders 2l resting on the ends of the upper traine cross 'bar beyond the slot so that the cap piece may 'be applied by the simple expedient `ot inserting the tongue 2O tfln'oug-h the slot ll and without using any securing devices.

'inasmuch as ,the tongue lits rather snugly between the tivo sign cards it tends Vto hold these cards and the cap piece againstrattling or against falling out of place even' though k the frame be inverted i-n carrying7 and aC- complishes this result Without injury to .the cards or the stickers on their backs.

The particu-lar shape of the cap piece is subject of course to a wide range of varia` tions 'but it is preferably ot a sha-pe which harnionizes with the general shape of the frame l0 and u-'ihieh `when in place does not destroy the symmetry 'et the display. (lap pieces having bodies et' triangular, s`enii,cir-

cular, rectangular or trapezoidal `formation are all lquite 4ei'fectli-ve in use.V

y tapering the tongues no feeling about is necessary to properly aline .them with the slot and the {tong-ues -autoifnatically guide .the cap :pieces into properly centered 'home -.position.

Vhen a number of the displays -are inounted on a .counter Vor `on the dis-play tables in a department store and properly dressed with ca-p pieces bearing appropriate seasonable greetings or seasonable decorations they aid very materially in producting a festive appearance entirely in consonance With the part iculai .occasion .which they symbolize or represent. `These cap pieces add to the decora` ti ve appearance of the sign in any event and they `permit a store to be very expeditiously and inexpensivelydressed up for purpose of an nnniversary sale, Christmas sale,` etc.

The `cap pieces being of such simple and inexpeisisive type may be readily stored away for future aise after `they 'have served their purpose and the need for revising, or reprinfting all oi the `price cards and other advertising matter on fthe counters during a special sale 4or 4season is enti-rely avoided.

It `will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in which the several features et this invention .are embodied, and

:shown .in the which in service attains the various objects of the invention and is Well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

s many changes could be inade in the above construction, and many apparently Widely dilierent embodiments of this invention V.could "be unade uiitlhout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United 'States ott ikmerica, is

l. A display device including' a pedestal and anopen trame supported in upright posr tion thereon, said frame 'having' a slot in its top through which a pair ol.z sign cards may be inserted and be-ing internally channeled for the reception of the cards, in combination With-a decorative cap piece ol" greater length than the slot resting at .its ends upon the .top of the traine and including a pendant tongue adapted to enter the slot and retain the lcap piece in applied position, said tongue being disposed between said cards.

2. flu ,a display device a sign and a 'frame therefor, the traine having'a slot in its upper edge, a .decorative member resting upon the upper edge oit the traine and including a pendant tongue lying in the slot, and termi` nailing at its opposite side in shoulders which support said members, and a pa-ir oi cards in said frame With -the tongue 'between them.

:3. A display device scribed. including a trame having a slot in its top and ,a pair ol' oopositely facing sign cards of nogreater Width than the slot mount` ed 'bach to back in the traine, a decorative cap piece of a length greater than the width of the slot resting upon the top of ythe traine and including a pendant tongue extei'uiling through the slot and lying between the sign lards.w

e. A .display device of the character ,described including a frame having a slot in its top and a pair ot oppositely itat-ing sign cards of no greater Width than the slot mounted back to back in the freine, a decorative cap piece of a length greater than the width of the slot resting `upon the top of the traine and including a pendant tongue `extending through the slot and lying between the sign cards, said tongue at 'its point of junction with the body of the cap'wpiece being of a Width approximately equal to the length oitl the slot `vfhereby to provide supporting shoulders for the .decorative cap piece and tapering toward its free end to provide inclined guidi-ng edges.

Signed at New York, in the county of New Yori; `and Sta-te of New `York, this 23rd Aday of April A. D. 1929.

FRANKLIN LAMB.

oll the character de- 

